ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper strike confirmed during COP26

Scotland's rail network will be hit by strikes during the UN climate summit in Glasgow, a union has confirmed.

The RMT said members who work for ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper will stage industrial action during COP26 in an ongoing row over pay.

ScotRail staff will strike from 00:01 on Monday 1 November until 23:59 on Friday 12th November.

The summit, which is expected to draw thousands of people to Glasgow, runs from 31 October until 12 November.

Sleeper staff will strike on Sunday 31 October from 11:59 until 11:58 hours on Tuesday 2 November and again for 48 hours on Thursday 11 November from 11:59.

GMB cleansing workers in Glasgow and Unite's Stagecoach staff have also voted to strike during COP26.

A spokesman for ScotRail said the "highly damaging" strike action was "extremely disappointing" as it faced a serious financial crisis in the wake of the pandemic.

Transport Minister Graeme Dey told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that the RMT was in receipt of a "very fair" pay proposal.

But he added many of its members will have voted for strike action "unaware of the offer that is now on the table".

Mr Dey also described the two-year deal, which he said has been backed by the three other unions involved, was "the best offer that can be made in the circumstances".

It is the latest stage in a long-running dispute over pay and conditions and proposed cuts to services at the rail operator, which wants to reduce the number of services across Scotland by 300 a day from next May.

Reacting to Mr Dey's comments, Michael Hogg from the RMT union said they would not ballot ScotRail workers on the new deal because "it is not worthy of consideration".

He said the new pay offer was 4.7% over two years, but there have to be efficiency savings. That would mean workers having to give up some current terms and conditions in order to get a pay rise, a caveat Mr Hogg branded "unacceptable".

There will be no trains running anywhere in Scotland during COP26 if the strikes go ahead, he confirmed.

ScotRail is currently run by Dutch firm Abellio - but will be taken over by a company owned and controlled by the Scottish government in March next year.

The move was announced by the government earlier this year after Abellio was stripped of its contract three years early amid concern over its performance.

ScotRail has been in talks for several weeks with trade unions about pay and conditions. A formal written offer was made to four rail trade unions - Aslef, RMT, TSSA, and Unite the union.

The company said it had only survived the pandemic due to emergency taxpayer support of more than £400m in "the most serious financial crisis in our history".

A spokesman said: "It's extremely disappointing that the RMT have opted to continue with this highly damaging strike action, particularly when a pay offer, negotiated over several weeks, has been made to the trade unions.

"We're seeing customers gradually return to Scotland's Railway, but the scale of the financial situation ScotRail is facing is stark.

"To build a more sustainable and greener railway for the future and reduce the burden on the taxpayer, we need to change. All of us in the railway - management, staff, trade unions, suppliers, and government - need to work together to modernise the railway so that it is fit for the future."

Transport Scotland said it welcomed constructive talks between all parties and that a "significant offer" has been made by employers since the RMT ballot opened.

A spokeswoman said: "We understand that the RMT will now ballot its membership again on the substance of this offer. We hope that RMT members and the other unions will agree and accept this offer, putting to an end existing and proposed industrial disputes and action.

"Rail workers have played their part in keeping the country moving through the pandemic and we are sure that they will see the importance of the moment and the role they can play in showing the best Scotland's Railway has to offer as we welcome world leaders from across the globe to COP26."

Meanwhile, Chris Mitchell of the GMB denied cleansing workers in Glasgow were using the global climate conference as a bargaining chip.

Mr Mitchell claimed his members have been "put in a corner" by Cosla despite their heroic efforts during the pandemic.

And he told Good Morning Scotland the current pay offer of £850 a year would only amount to an extra £6.50 a week, after tax and National Insurance.

Mr Mitchell said he acknowledged the importance of COP26 but added: "Cosla need to realise there is an emergency on their own door step."